Xylophone



XYLOPHON E H. ZIMMERMAN Filed Oct. 5, 1945 Nov. 8, 1949 INVENTOR: HARRY Z/MMERMAN ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE XYLOPHONE Harry Zimmerman, New York, N. Y.

Application October 3, 1945, Serial N0. 619,938

3 Claims.

My invention relates to musical toys of the Xylophone type and, more particularly, to xylophones having a number of sounding members suspended in a metallic frame.

Objects of my invention are to improve the quality of the tones produced by such a xylophone, and to increase the durability of the xylophones structure.

Frames of xylophones can be readily and inexpensively made from sheet metal. Known frames of this kind, however, have the disadvantage that the frame walls tend to vibrate when the sound bars vibrate whereby the produced tone acquires a tinny quality. Another object is to avoid this drawback and to prevent or suppress vibration of metallic parts of the frame.

Further objects are to avoid any possibility of sound bars contacting metallic frame parts, and to provide non-metallic or non-vibratory parts projecting beyond the inner edges of openings of the frame through which sound bars pass in their position of suspension whereby neither excessive vibration nor any displacement of these bars, for example displacement due to slackening of the suspension, will bring the bars into contact with the metal of the frame.

It is known to suspend the sound bars on cords or similar suspension elements supported by parts of the frame. Still other objects are to avoid breakage or wear and tear of these suspension elements, to avoid contact between these elements and sharp metallic edges, to interpose a protecting layer of soft material between the suspension elements and the metal parts supporting the same, and to connect the suspension points of the bars and of the suspension elements by separate and replaceable members having a rounded surface.

Still further objects are to obtain these results by simple and inexpensive means and by a structure which can be easily maintained in good working order. Still other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from the appended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectional view of a part of this embodiment, this cross-section being taken along the line 22 and seen from the left side in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows another partial sectional view, taken along the line 3--3 and Seen from the left side in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows still another partial sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 and seen from the lower side in Fig. 1.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are represented on a considerably larger scale than Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, numeral I indicates the bottom of a metallic frame which has two vertical end walls 5 and 25 and two lateral walls 5 made of sheet or other metallic material, bent at their upper ends and connected to each other in any suitable manner. For example, inwardly bent rims I extend from the upper ends of these walls and form a horizontal platform with a large opening of trapezoid shape. The inner edges of the rims 7 may be bent down whereby inner vertical walls 8 are formed and the cross-section of the frame has a channel-like shape. The walls 8 are considerably shorter than the walls 5 and 6 and are adapted for supporting a cord or suspension member 9 in a substantially horizontal position. For example, the two lateral walls 8 have a plurality of extensions I0 consisting of narrow metal strips bent into cylindrical shape and lined by small tubes ll of card board or similar non-metallic or soft material. Preferably, the cylinders IB and the tubes I! belonging to the same wall 6 are positioned in one straight line parallel to this wall. Each of these two rows of extensions it! supports a suspension member 9 having ends afiixed to the walls 5 and 25 in any suitable manner. For example, the suspension members of both rows may be parts of one cord passing through openings in the end walls 5 and 25 and having ends connected by a knot [2. But other suitable suspension means may be employed.

A pluralty of sound bars for example, bars 23 and I3, each tuned to a different tone, are suspended on the member 9, preferably, in parallel positions crossing the direction of the suspension member 9. The bars may be suspended by means of U-shaped loops or hooks M which are preferably made of wire of round cross-section and have angularly bent leg ends IS. The distance between the legs of each hook I4 is preferably slightly smaller than the diameter of the cord 9 whereby the hook is frictionally held in place after it is wedged or clamped around a part of the cord 9 situated between two extensions In.

Each bar has two openings I 6 positioned under the two crossing parts of the cord 9. These openings are slightly shorter, in the longitudinal direction of the bar, than the distance between the outer surfaces of the bent hook ends l5, and are sufficiently long for passage of these hook ends when the latter are temporarily compressed. After the ends of a hook M are passed through an opening 16 and released from compression, they spread again resiliently and secure the bar to the hook. After both openings 36 of a bar have been engaged by juxtaposed hooks M in the manner described, the bar is suspended on the cord 9 in a manner permitting well sounding vibration of the bar. This vibration does not cause wear or tear of the suspension member 9 because the hooks id have no sharp edges and the tubes H prevent the cord 9 from contacting the edges of the holdin extensions 10.

Preferably, the distance between the walls 6 is shorter than the bars, and these walls are provided with openings I! for the passage of the ends of these bars. According to my invention, each wall 6 is provided with a lining l8 of non metallic or non-vibratory material, for example, of thick card board. The lining 'I'B covers at least one side, preferably the inner side, of the respective wall 6 and has openings [9 which are concentric with the openings l1 and have diameters slightly smaller than the openings ll whereby parts of the lining i8 project into the interior beyond the edges of the openings H, The openings I! and I!) have diameters sufficiently large to provide for a clearance between the passing bars and the edges of these openings. The lining I8 prevents the bars from contacting the metallic edges of the openings ii in case of excessive oscillations of the bars and when the bars drop due "to slackening suspension. Thereby, vibrations can never be directly transmitted from the bars to the metallic frame. Any vibrations that may be indirectly transmitted to this frame are deadened by the same lining.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular embodiment shown and tiescribed,'the same being merely illustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from th spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particp;

'Patent is:

1. A Xylophone comprising a'frame having lateral walls made of metal and provided with openings, a lining made of non-metallic stiff material and afiixed to said frame adjacent to said walls, said lining having openings smaller than said wall openings and positioned in line with the central parts of said wall openings, and a plurality of sound bars supported in said frame and having ends passing through said openings of said lining with clearance.

2. A Xylophone comprising a frame having lateralmetallic walls provided with openings, a lining made of non-metallic stiff material and coverin the inner side of said walls and projecting to the center of said openings beyond the edges of said openings, and a plurality of sound bars suspended in said frame and having ends passing through said openings of said lining with clearance.

3. A Xylophone comprising a frame having lateral metallic walls provided with openings, a plurality of sound bars suspended in said frame and having ends passing through said openings, and two pieces of cardboard, one affixed to one of said walls and the other affixed to the other wall, said pieces having openings smaller than and concentric with the openings of said walls and surrounding said bar ends with clearance whereby said cardboard pieces prevent contact between said bars and the metallic edges of said wall openings when said bars move excessively out of their ordinary central positions.

HARRY ZIMMERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 375,833 Plant et al Jan. 3, 1888 1,575,960 Bartholomae Mar. 9, 1926 1,576,263 Bartholomae Mar. 9, 1926 1,988,564 Nerust Jan. 22, .1935 2,020,150 Ludwig Nov.. 5, 1935 2,117,345 Miessner May 17, 1938 

